These days, growth is everything for startups—growth hackers, growth managers, growth marketers, etc. However, are these titles only alternative terms for the same type of work? And which kind of candidate should a startup hire, and why?
This post will examine how to hire the best candidate to advance your business while also throwing some light on one of the trendiest and most lucrative positions in the marketing industry today. Now let’s get started:
Marketing, Growth Hacking, or Growth Manager?
All of these jobs are fundamentally focused on growing, both in terms of income and reach. In this context, “growth” is “a shorthand term for the cycle of acquisition, activation, retention, and reactivation of users or customers,” according to Steven Walling, a former product manager for Wikimedia.
Every business, especially new ones, gives these concepts a unique meaning. However, the general idea remains the same:
As a growth manager, you must divide your time between starting the company’s growth and fostering it. The word “manager” in your title suggests that you might possibly be in charge of a group of people.
“Growth hacking” is less a position and more a way of thinking. Adherents of this philosophy don’t hesitate to push boundaries and think creatively in order to achieve their goals. They may be growth marketers, growth managers, or just about anyone with an adventurous spirit.
The term “growth marketer” is more of a “catch-all” for someone who dabbles in growth hacking but may also use more conventional marketing techniques to achieve the desired outcome.
What is the role of a growth manager?
In the early 2000s, all you had to do to get your business noticed online was have an online presence. Businesses were expanding at a dizzying rate and receiving money from investors on all sides. Everything was moving so quickly that poor choices, dubious judgments, and shaky foundations were all overlaid.
Not even the largest corporations were exempt. One of the biggest dot-com flops, Pets.com, is now seen by many as having failed, and Amazon invested in it. While some businesses folded, others faltered but persevered. The emphasis on growth for the sake of growth was just too great.
Let the growth manager come in.
Growth managers consider statistics and outcomes rather than creating businesses that are driven by publicity and fanfare. They always manage to climb up, sometimes even rather aggressively, primarily because of the internet “hunt or be hunted” mentality. Growth managers are using digital tractors to level the playing field rather than just hoping for it to happen.
Many of the biggest names in business today, like Google, Dropbox, Uber, and even Uber, are in desperate need of growth managers. What precisely do they do, then?
Growth managers essentially establish attainable firm growth objectives and then work to achieve them. Data collection tools can be used to establish a baseline for the activities occurring on your website. They question themselves, “How can we build upon this?” as they interact with clients and observe trends.
However, growing alone is insufficient, and you don’t want to accumulate data for later analysis. Growth managers make use of the information they have gathered to develop client profiles, enhance income, and, if feasible, reduce expenses.
In and of itself, locating these useful gold nuggets requires a full-time workload. Almost every business, especially startups, may benefit from having a growth manager on staff to help not just go through the data but also get other departments like product development, sales, and marketing to work together as a cohesive unit.
Things to Consider Before Engaging a Growth Manager
To get the best outcomes with a growth manager, it is essential to understand the abilities and position that your growth manager will play within your organization, according to Ivan Kirigin, a former early growth manager at Dropbox.
As there are no “silver bullets” in the field of growth marketing, focusing on the most crucial areas will enable your manager and team to collaborate more successfully. This is according to Kirigin.
He goes on to explain that, of course, it’s crucial to hire someone who can comprehend the abbreviations for internet marketing, such as SEO, PPC, PR, and CRO, but it’s also crucial to acknowledge that one person cannot do everything.
He suggests looking for someone with a foundational set of abilities, such as experience with branding, UX, or statistics, in addition to other useful abilities like split testing, copywriting, or funnel development. Next, focus on their particular knowledge channels, such as social media, PR, Facebook ads, and so on. This is a useful chart that illustrates the many tiers of knowledge for the career of a growth manager.
From a skill-set standpoint, the growth manager must comprehend the various forms of client acquisition channels, such as earned media (PR, word-of-mouth, organic SEO), owned and paid media, and others. It is definitely advantageous to have the ability to comprehend, filter, and work with data, including tools for visualization, as well as to think strategically. A flexible and data-driven growth manager can be found by applying these requirements as a starting point; however, there is no actual “growth manager checklist.”
The Best Ways to Support Your Growth Manager
Naturally, having a growth manager on staff by itself won’t work like magic. For them to compile the necessary information and create a strategy, you must have a suitable data infrastructure in place. Accurate user behavior analysis and the ability to plan, carry out, and comprehend tests are essential for growth success.
Furthermore, it is probable that your growth manager will collaborate with other departments, such as engineering, marketing, sales, and design. After implementing various growth initiatives, the growth manager will review the outcomes and make any necessary adjustments to campaigns and funnels.
Acknowledge that hiring a growth manager will require you to maintain an open line of communication and an open mind both with them and the growth marketing team as a whole. Without a doubt, they’ll have priceless client feedback and insights, including recommendations for improvements to the website, the product or service, and other areas. Their approach will be to prioritize determining which tests will yield the best findings, the impact of the changes upon implementation, and the associated costs.
It is worthwhile for the organization to give priority to any area where significant changes may be made while reducing expenses and expanding its brand and reach.
Do you have a growth manager on staff? Post your ideas below!
We would appreciate hearing from you if you have been employed or are a growth manager! How would you characterize your experience? We would be happy to answer your questions if you’re trying to hire one! Comment and share your ideas below!
About the author: Sherice Jacob uses astute analytics analysis, enticing copywriting, and user-friendly website design to help business owners enhance their online presence and boost conversion rates. Visit iElectrify.com to find out more and to get your free web copy conversion and tune-up checklist!